Menaion of the Orthodox Church
The 30th Day of the Month of January
Commemoration of Our Holy Fathers, the Great Hierarchs Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian & John Chrysostom
Commemoration of the Holy Hieromartyr Hippolytus, Pope of Rome
At Little Vespers
On “Lord, I have cried…”, 4 stichera, in Tone IV, Special Melody: As one valiant among the martyrs…”
Having ascended to the summit of the love of Christ, O Basil, thou didst behold His ineffable and divine mysteries, which, disclosing, thou didst explain to the people, as a wise preacher of piety. Wherefore, pray thou, that those who faithfully follow thy teachings be delivered from corruption and misfortunes, O venerable one.
Thou didst loose the bonds of heresies, O venerable one, with the wisdom of thy discourses and doctrines, and thou hast brought together in the unity of mind of the Orthodox Faith those who praise Christ with goodly understanding, O Gregory. Him do thou entreat, that those who accept with faith thy divinely proclaimed teachings be delivered from corruption and misfortunes.
Christ established thee as an indestructible foundation for His Church, O venerable father, who preservest it unshaken and unvanquished by the assaults of the enemy, O divinely eloquent Chrysostom, and prayest that those who thirst for thy words and the depths of thine understandings be delivered from soul-corrupting passions.
Let us praise the great John, with the godly theologian Gregory and the high-minded Basil: the chosen ones of the Trinity, the flowers of the meadow of incorruption which are redolent of myrrh and exceedingly beautiful, the beams of the noetic Sun, who illumine the earth with their divine effulgence.
Glory…, in Tone VI
O men of God, faithful servants and ministers of the Lord, men of divine desires, chosen vessels, pillars and foundations of the Church, heirs of the kingdom: Fall not silent in beseeching the Lord in our behalf.
Now and ever…: Theotokion
O Theotokos, thou art the true vine who hast budded forth for us the Fruit of life. We entreat thee: Pray thou with the holy apostles, O Mistress, that He have mercy on our souls.
Aposticha stichera, in Tone VI, Special Melody: “On the third day…”
Grace hath prevailed, faith hath proved stronger, and all have been filled with the understanding of God. And we have been enriched with salvation because of the apostles and teachers.
Stichos: The saints shall boast in glory, and they shall rejoice on their beds.
O Lord, Thou hast made wondrous Thy three saints with heavenly mysteries, the teaching of men and the confluence of most divers graces, together with corrections which vanquish every word of heresy.
Stichos: Thy priests shall be clothed with righteousness, and Thy righteous shall rejoice.
Let Basil, the divine intelligence, Gregory, the divine voice, and John, the most beautiful lamp, the three highest favorites and ministers of the Trinity, be glorified!
Glory…, in Tone VI
O good, blessed and faithful servants, ye goodly husbandmen of the vineyard of Christ, who bore the burden of the day and increased the talant given you: Ye did not envy those who came after you; wherefore, the gates of heaven have been opened unto you. Entering, therefore, into the joy of Christ your Master, pray for us, O holy teachers.
Now and ever…: Theotokion
No one who hath recourse unto thee, O all-pure Virgin Theotokos, departeth from thee ashamed; for he asketh grace and receiveth a gift for his profitable petition.
Troparion, in Tone IV
In that ye share in the ways of the apostles, O teachers of the whole world, entreat the Master of all, that He grant peace to the world and great mercy to our souls.
Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion
The mystery hidden from before the ages and unknown even to the angels, through thee, O Theotokos, hath been revealed to those on earth: God incarnate in unconfused union, Who willingly accepted the Cross for our sake and, thereby raising up the first-formed man, hath saved our souls from death.
At Great Vespers
After the Introductory Psalm, we chant “Blessed is the man…”, the first antiphon.
On “Lord, I have cried…”, 8 stichera: 4 in Tone IV, Special Melody: “As one valiant among the martyrs…”
As is meet, let us glorify John and Basil, with Gregory: the three heralds of the great Trinity, the instruments of grace, the harps of the Spirit, the right famous clarions of proclamation, awesome and clear of resonance, who thunder forth from the heights and declare to the ends of the earth the glory of God.
Let the three champions be honored as is meet: the bulwarks of piety, the three apostles added to the twelve, the rivers pouring forth living water from Eden, flooding the face of the earth with life-bearing and divine streams, and who have molded the Faith as the elements form creation.
There is no speech nor spoken words, which are not heard in their voices, it is said; for the proclamation of the divine and wise teachers hath passed over all the land and the sea of creation. Hence, most excellent things are brought together and assembled through their divine laws into one Orthodoxy, for the ends of the earth.
With voices of hymnody* let us who follow their dogmas praise the instruments of the Holy Spirit, the clarions of the truth, the words of orators, entreating them, as ones who have boldness before the Lord, that He ever grant mighty peace to the whole world, and forgiveness to us all.
And 4 stichera, in Tone II, Special Melody: “With what crowns of praise…”
With what wreaths of praise shall we crown the teachers, who though in separate bodies were united in spirit, the God-bearing intercessors equal in number with the Trinity, the ministers and luminaries who enlighten the universe, the pillars of the Church, whom Christ our God, Who hath great mercy, doth crown with wreaths of glory, in that they are victorious?
With what beauties of hymnody shall we crown the God-bearing and heavenly initiates and preachers of the mysteries, the exceeding most excellent theologians of Orthodoxy, the great Basil manifest in sanctity, the godly and divinely eloquent Gregory, and John of exceeding golden tongue, whom the Trinity, the Lord, hath glorified as is meet, in that He hath great mercy?
With what words of praise shall we laud the holy hierarchs, the peers of the apostles in grace and equal in the honor of spiritual gifts, the destroyers of impiety, the saviors and guides in word and deed, the shepherds Christ-like in faith, the earthly angels and heavenly men, whom Christ, the Lord of glory, hath honored, in that He hath great mercy?
With what wreaths of praise shall we crown Chrysostom, together with Basil and Gregory, the precious receptacles of the Spirit, the champions of the inviolate Faith, the pillars of the Church, the confirmation of the faithful, the consolation of all sinners, the wellsprings which pour forth water, drinking from which we find delight for our souls, asking forgiveness of transgressions and great mercy?
Glory…, in Tone VI
Let us praise today the God-bearing fathers, the mystic clarions of the Spirit, who in the midst of the Church have chanted the melodious hymns of theology to the one Trinity immutable in essence and divinity, the destroyers of Arians and champions of the Orthodox, who ever entreat the Lord, that our souls find mercy.
Now and ever…: Dogmatic Theotokion, in the same tone
Who doth not call thee blessed, O all-holy Virgin? Who will not hymn thine all-pure birthgiving? For the only-begotten Son Who shone forth timelessly from the Father, came forth, ineffably incarnate, from thee, the pure one; and being God by nature, He became man for our sake, not divided into two Persons, but known in two natures without confusion. Him do thou beseech, O pure and most blessed one, that our souls find mercy!
Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. 3 Readings:
A Reading from Deuteronomy
In those days, Moses said to the children of Israel: “Behold, God hath delivered the land before you; go in and inherit the land, which I promised to your fathers, Abraham, and Isaac and Jacob, to give it to them and to their seed after them. And I spoke to you at that time, saying: ‘I shall not be able by myself to bear you. The Lord your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are today as the stars of heaven for a multitude. The Lord God of your fathers increase you a thousand-fold more than you are, and bless you as He hath spoken to you.’ So I took of you wise and understanding and prudent men for your tribes, and I set them to rule over you as rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, and rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens, and scribes to be your judges. And I charged your judges at that time, saying: Hear causes between your brethren, and judge rightly between a man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him. Thou shalt not have respect to persons in judgment, thou shalt judge small and great equally; thou shalt not shrink from before the person of a man, for the judgment is God’s.”
A Reading from Deuteronomy
In those days, Moses said to the children of Israel: “Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens belong to the Lord thy God, the earth and all things that are therein. Only the Lord chose your fathers to love them, and He chose out their seed after them, even you, beyond all nations, as at this day. Therefore, ye shall circumcise the hardness of your heart, and ye shall not harden your neck. For the Lord your God, He is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great and strong and terrible God, Who doth not admire a face, nor will He by any means accept a bribe: executing judgment for the stranger and orphan and widow; and He loveth the strange to give him food and raiment. And ye too shall love the stranger, for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve Him, and shalt cleave unto Him, and shalt swear by His name. He is thy boast, and He is thy God, Who hath wrought in the midst of thee these great and glorious things, which thine eyes have seen.”
A Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon
The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery, and their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace. For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality. And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for Himself. As gold in the furnace hath He tried them and received them as a burnt offering. And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble. They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever. Those who put their trust in Him shall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall abide with Him: for grace and mercy is to His saints, and He hath care for His elect.
At Litya, the sticheron of the temple, and these stichera, the composition of Nilus Xanthopoulos
In Tone II: Come, ye servants of the heavenly Trinity, let us praise the earthly trinity of holy hierarchsBasil, the namesake of kingship, Gregory called the Theologian, and John who was truly named for gracewho plumbed the depths of the wisdom of the Spirit: the currents of the ocean, the ever-flowing wellsprings pouring forth living water, the lustrous pearls, the lamps unto the earth, the helmsmen of the Church, the trees bearing lustrous fruit, the grace-filled builders, the mouth of my Christ and champions of the Trinity, who are illumined directly thereby and pray unceasingly in behalf of our souls.
Made radiant by the coals which burn with unbearable Fire, let us praise them with faith; for, set afire through union with Him, they became beacons for the world, showing themselves to be a living power for the poor; and they manifestly and piously preached the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And unto them let us say: Rejoice, O divinely wise trinity of the Trinity!
In Tone VI: Glory to Thy wise providence, O holy and worshipful Trinity! For Thou hast given unto men three great luminaries from among men, who shine forth with the light of Thy knowledge and enlighten with the radiance of Thy saving and honorable desires! For thereby the whole world, enriched with the light of understanding, is rendered effulgent by Thy glory, and hasteneth to Thy blessed kingdom. Exhorting us to hearken to their divine teachings, O Holy Trinity, do Thou Thyself hearken to their supplications in our behalf, and, in that Thou art God most compassionate, save Thou our souls, O Thou Who lovest mankind.
Glory…, in Tone VI
Assembling together, O ye who love the feasts of the Church, with songs of praise let us hymn the holy hierarchs of Christ, the glory of the fathers, the pillars of the Faith, the teachers and preservers of the faithful, and let us say: Rejoice, O all-wise Basil, beacon and indestructible tower of the Church! Rejoice, O Gregory the Theologian, celestial mind and greatest among hierarchs! Rejoice, O most golden John of golden eloquence, manifest preacher of repentance! O fathers who art thrice rich, never cease in your supplications to Christ in behalf of those who with faith and love celebrate your most sacred and divine festival.
Now and ever…: Theotokion, in the same tone
Assembling, O ye who love the feasts of the Church, with songs of praise let us hymn the only Theotokos, the beauty of virginity, the noetic gladness, the firm rampart of the faithful, and let us say: Rejoice, O pure Virgin Mother, radiant lamp and portal of heaven! Rejoice, O most pure one, thou sacred tabernacle who contained God in thy womb! Rejoice, thou who beyond dispute dost surpass all the ranks of heaven! Wherefore, O Mother without husband, O Mistress, cease thou never to preserve thy servants, who ever hymn thee with faith and love, and worship thy seedless birthgiving.
Aposticha stichera, in Tone I, Special Melody: “O most lauded martyrs…”
As is meet, today let us praise together the spiritual initiates of the mysteries, the noetic clarions of God, the divine reflections: Basil the great, the divine Gregory of fiery inspiration, and John, truly golden-mouthed, who poureth forth upon us golden streams of doctrines.
Stichos: The saints shall boast in glory, and they shall rejoice upon their beds.
As is meet, let us praise with hymns the foundation of the Faith, the godly and vigilant mind, the most radiant rivers of golden streams and the honored luminaries, the champions of the Trinity, the receptacles of the grace of the Spirit, the unshakable pillars, the confirmation of the Church.
Stichos: Thy priests shall be clothed with righteousness, and Thy righteous shall rejoice.
O thrice-blessed Basil, divinely wise Gregory and most golden and all-honored John, ye instruments of the Spirit, clarions of the divine thunder, lightning-flashes of preaching, most radiant beacons, rendered golden and luminous by God: Entreat Christ, that He save those who honor you.
Glory…, in Tone II
Today are the souls of mortals upborne from earthly things; today do they become heavenly on the day of the saints’ commemoration; for the gates of heaven are opened, and the words of the Master are spoken unto us. Words proclaim the Word, and tongues hymn His wonders. And we cry out to the Savior: Glory to Thee, O Christ God, for through them hath peace been given to the faithful!
Now and ever…, of the coming feast, in the same tone
Today is Christ borne into the sanctuary as a babe; today doth He become subject to the law Who gave the law to Moses! The armies of the angels marvelled, beholding Him Who holdeth all things carried in the arms of an elderly man. And, full of reverence, Symeon cried out, rejoicing: “Now let me depart from this fleeting life to a rest which waxeth not old, O Savior; for I have see Thee and am glad!”
After the blessing of the loaves, the Troparion, in Tone IV
In that ye share in the ways of the apostles, O teachers of the whole world, entreat the Master of all, that He grant peace to the world and great mercy to our souls. Twice
And “Virgin Theotokos, rejoice!…”, once.
At Compline
We chant the service of the holy hieromartyr Hippolytus, Pope of Rome.
Canon of the hieromartyr, the composition of John the monk, in Tone IV
Ode I
Irmos: He Who is mighty in battle cast the chariots of Pharaoh and his power into the sea. Let us chant a new hymn, for He hath been glorified!
Come, and with martyric hymns let us hymn the hieromartyr, beholding him shining forth brightly with divinely radiant grace; and let us ever glorify Christ.
Emulating Christ, O father, amid tribulation thou didst lay down thy life for the reason-endowed flock entrusted to thee by Him, and thou hast been adorned with a twofold crown.
Having been anointed by the sacred oil of gladness at the command of God, O Hippolytus, thou wast anointed with the blood of martyrdom.
Theotokion: On Mount Sinai Moses beheld thee, O Virgin, as the bush which was unconsumed, prefiguring thee who wast not consumed by the radiance of the divine Fire; for thou gavest birth unto God.
Ode III
Irmos: The bow of the mighty is become weak, and the strengthless have girded themselves with power; wherefore, my heart is established in the Lord.
Thou didst shepherd the reason-endowed sheep and wast slaughtered beforehand as a lamb among sheep, emulating the Chief Shepherd of all and Lamb of God.
With divine inspiration thou gavest noetic milk to drink unto those whom thou didst shepherd; and, rejoicing, thou didst drain the cup of Christ’s witness.
Leading assemblies of athletes, thou didst accept martyrdom for piety, glorifying the one God: the Father, with the Son and the divine Spirit.
Theotokion: Rejoice, O Mother who knewest not wedlock, who didst contain the Word of God within thy womb, and gavest birth to Him Who is both God and man, incarnate.
Ode IV
Irmos: Proclaiming the coming of Thine appearance on earth, O Christ God, the prophet cried out with gladness: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
Thy virtues were like a divine sheaf of grain; for thou wast honored by God as a shepherd and martyr, O Hippolytus, rejoicing in Him exceedingly.
Thou didst surpass the offering of Abel; for thou didst bring reason-endowed sheep unto God, and, rejoicing, didst present the Master with thine own blood.
Vanquishing with the Spirit the loquacious evil devisings of the heretics, O blessed one, through love thou becamest an excellent hieromartyr of the Master.
Theotokion: When the angels beheld the Son of God issuing forth from thy womb, O pure Virgin, they said with gladness: Glory to thy birthgiving, O Mistress!
Ode V
Irmos: Thou hast come, O my Lord, as a light into the world: a holy light turning from the darkness of ignorance those who hymn Thee with faith.
Thou wast a true martyr among priests and a holy hierarch among martyrs, O Hippolytus, and thou art resplendent with twofold gifts.
As a rock with golden luster and magnificence, O Hippolytus, thy suffering was adorned with the splendor of thy hierarchy.
With piety thou didst refute the myths of the Greeks and with grace thou didst set at naught the all-iniquitous falsehood of the Jews, O thou who art excellent among the martyrs.
Theotokion: We set thee as an invincible weapon against the enemy, O Bride of God, and have acquired thee as our trust and hope of salvation.
Ode VI
Irmos: I will sacrifice to Thee with a voice of praise, O Lord, the Church crieth unto Thee, cleansed of the blood of demons by the blood which, for mercy’s sake, flowed from Thy side.
Thou didst offer unto the Savior a sacrifice of praise in the Church of the saints, as a mediator between God and men; and through thy blood didst ardently bring thy soul to Him.
Through the Spirit thou didst receive a multitude of gifts from God, at the opening of thy divine mouth, O hieromartyr; and in thanksgiving thou leadest to Him those who slew thee.
In that the assembly of Thine athletes is divine, O Christ, relying on hope they are nurtured in the present, considering death sweeter than life.
Theotokion: O wonder most recent of all wonders! For the Virgin, conceiving Him Who sustaineth all things in her womb without knowing man, did not confine Him.
Sessional hymn, in Tone I, Special Melody: “Thy tomb, O Savior…”
Thou hast been shown to be an ever-shining lamp for the world, enlightening the thoughts of the faithful with the lightning-flashes of thy divine words, O holy hierarch Hippolytus. Wherefore, we all joyously celebrate thy sacred and divine memorial today, and honor thee with faith.
Ode VII
Irmos: O all-hymned Lord God of our fathers, Who saved the children of Abraham in the fire, slaying the Chaldæans whom justice rightly overtook: blessed art Thou!
O manifestly sacred martyr, with the splendors of martyrdom and the priesthood thou dost enlighten those who cry out to Christ at thy memorial: O all-hymned Lord God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Beholding Him standing before thee Who knew thy most sacred contest of martyrdom from afar and stood before thee, O father, rejoicing thou didst cry out: O all-hymned Lord God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Enduring the wounds of martyrdom, afire with love Hippolytus cried out with patience and boldness: O all-hymned Lord God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Theotokion: Without seed thou didst supernaturally receive in thy womb the immutable God Who hath come unto men in His loving-kindness. O all-hymned Lord God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Ode VIII
Irmos: Christ God, Who appeared in the guise of an angel in the fiery furnace of the chanting youths, do ye hymn, O children, and bless, O priests! Ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!
As a good shepherd thou didst offer thyself to Christ as a tender and fatted sacrifice, crying: Ye priests, bless; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Resplendent in the crown of martyrdom, O Christ, the hierarch hath shone forth upon Thy Church, crying out, rejoicing: Ye children, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!
After the daunting sentence of death, Hippolytus, the athlete of Christ, cried out, rejoicing: Ye children, bless Christ; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Theotokion: Her who ineffably conceived without seed and gave birth to Christ God, the Joy of all the world, do ye hymn, O ye children! O ye priests, bless and exalt her supremely for all ages!
Ode IX
Irmos: Thy birthgiving was shown to be incorrupt: God came forth from thy womb, appeared on earth as a mortal, and dwelt with men. Wherefore, we all magnify thee as the Theotokos.
As a most glorious hieromartyr thou hast illumined the Church of Christ with twofold radiance, and dost gladden the hearts of those who hymn thee. Wherefore, we all bless thee as is meet.
Pouring forth a wellspring of doctrines upon the Church of Christ, O most blessed one, like a river thou bearest to God torrents of thy martyr’s blood; wherefore, we all call thee blessed, O Hippolytus.
O divinely eloquent one, thou hast taught all to worship the one God in Trinity, the Creator of all things, visible and invisible, and hast been adorned with the crown of martyrdom.
Theotokion: The radiant angel stood before thee and was greatly illumined with the rays of thy virginity, and he forgot himself and his innate glory, and cried out to thee with fear: Rejoice!
Stichera of the hieromartyr, in Tone I, Special Melody: “Joy of the ranks of heaven…”
Receiving the grace of the priesthood, thou didst illumine all the divine teachings, O divinely wise father Hippolytus, and in sacred writings thou didst interpret the divine words of the prophets, thereby explaining to us things which are to come.
Adorned with a divine crown of confession, with the drops of thy blood thou didst adorn thy priestly vesture; and, radiant and comely, thou hast stood before the King, Master and Creator, O most blessed Hippolytus.
Having now acquired boldness before Christ the Savior, O most blessed one, all who honor thee with faith do thou save from misfortunes and perils, from evil circumstances and sufferings, from falls and want, by thy right acceptable supplications.
Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion, in the same melody
With the staff of thine aid, O pure Theotokos, drive the bestial passions away from my wretched soul, guiding me thence peacefully unto life, and number me among the holy flock of thy chosen sheep.
At Matins
At “God is the Lord…”, the Troparion of the saints, twice; Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion.
After the first chanting of the Psalter, this Sessional hymn, in Tone V, Special Melody: “The Word Who with the Father and the Spirit is without beginning…”
Let us all praise Basil as the royal adornment of the Church, the inexhaustible treasury of dogmas; for thereby he hath instructed us to worship the Holy Trinity Which is united in essence but separate as to hypostasis.
Glory…: Another Sessional hymn, in Tone IV, Special Melody: “Go Thou quickly before…”
O divinely wise fathers, all-radiant luminaries of the Church of Christ, ye have enlightened the world with your teachings, causing the errors of all the heretics to wither away, and quenching the flaming tumults of the blasphemous. Wherefore, as holy hierarchs of Christ, pray ye, that we be saved.
Now and ever…: Theotokion
O most hymned Virgin, Mother of Christ God, Mary, Bride of God who knewest not wedlock, intercession for the faithful, O Mistress Theotokos: from every misfortune and all want deliver those who with faith and love flee unto thy protection, O thou who alone art the Bride of God.
After the second chanting of the Psalter, this Sessional hymn, in Tone III, Special Melody: “Of the divine Faith…”
Thou wast a pillar of the Church, and wast shown to be a wealth of piety which cannot be stolen away, O Gregory the Theologian. Thou didst illumine thy life with dispassion, and didst make plain the dogmas of the Trinity. O venerable father, entreat Christ God for the salvation of our souls.
Glory…: Another Sessional hymn, in Tone IV, Special Melody: “Joseph marvelled…”
Hovering like wise bees over the meadow of the Scriptures, ye gathered well the most excellent pollen of their flowers, and together ye have produced for all the faithful the honey of your teachings unto their utter delight. Wherefore, each of us, delighting therein, crieth out with gladness: Even after death be ye advocates for us who praise you, O blessed ones.
Now and ever…: Theotokion
Tempest-tossed by the threefold billows of the passions, I who am without a conscience do fervently call upon you, O all-pure one: Disdain me not, lest I perish, wretch that I am, O thou who gavest birth to the Abyss of mercy; for I have no other hope than thee. Let me not become a joy unto mine enemies, nor a byword, for I trust in thee. For whatsoever thou desirest thou canst do, in that thou art the Mother of the God of all.
Polyeleos, and this magnification
We magnify you, O holy hierarchs of ChristBasil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom,and we honor your holy memory; for ye entreat Christ God in our behalf.
Selected Psalm verses
A O hear ye this, all ye people; ponder it with your ears, all ye that dwell in the world. [48:1]
B My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. [48:3]
A Come, ye children, and hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. [33:11]
B I have declared thy righteousness in the great congregation. [39:11]
A My talk hath been of thy truth, and of thy salvation. [39:12]
B I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. [21:22]
A That I may show the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works. [25:7]
B Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honor dwelleth. [25:8]
A I have hated the congregation of the wicked, and will not sit among the ungodly. [25:5]
B Because I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not forsaken my God, as the wicked doth. [17:21]
A The mouth of the righteous is exercised in wisdom, and his tongue shall speak of judgment. [36:31]
B His righteousness endureth for ever. [110:3]
A Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness, and let thy saints sing with joyfulness. [131:9]
B Blessed are those who dwell in thy house; they will be alway praising thee. [83:4]
Glory…, Now and ever…
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God. Thrice
After the Polyeleos, this Sessional hymn, in Tone IV, Special Melody: “Thou hast appeared…”
Let the all-wise teachers of the whole world, who glorified God on earth with their deeds and words, be magnified today as mediators of salvation for us.
Glory…: Another Sessional hymn, in the same melody
The Church doth celebrate today the honored solemnity of the three teachers; for they have made the Church steadfast by their divine dogmas.
Now and ever…: Theotokion
O invincible intercessor for the afflicted, fervent help of those who trust in thee: deliver me from misfortunes, for thou art the helper of all.
Song of Ascents, the first antiphon of Tone IV
Prokimenon, in Tone IV
Thy priests shall be clothed with righteousness, and Thy righteous shall rejoice.
Stichos: My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
Let every breath praise the Lord.
Gospel according to John §36[10:9-16]
The Lord said to the Jews who came to Him: “I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he who is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine. As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd.”
After Psalm 50, this sticheron, in Tone VI
Grace was poured forth in your mouths, O venerable fathers, and ye became pastors of the Church of Christ, teaching the reason-endowed sheep to believe in the consubstantial Trinity, in a single Godhead.
Canon of the Theotokos, with 6 Troparia, including the irmos; and two canons of the holy hierarchs, with 8 Troparia.
Ode I
Canon of the Theotokos, the composition of John Mauropus, Metropolitan of Euchaïta, in Tone II
Irmos: Come, ye people, let us chant a hymn to Christ God, Who divided the sea and guided the people whom He had led forth from the bondage of Egypt, for He hath been glorified.
O all-pure one, from cruel misfortunes, from infirmities and transgressions, save me who, with body and soul, do piously confess thee to be the pure Theotokos in truth.
We have come to know the whole abyss of spiritual gifts which lieth within thee, O Theotokos; wherefore, fleeing earnestly to thy divine protection, we are saved.
Entreat Him Who became incarnate of thine all-pure and precious blood, O all-pure one, in behalf of us who hymn thee, that we may be delivered from transgressions and bitter pain.
Canon I of the holy hierarchs, the acrostic whereof is: “I proclaim the three suns of the light of the threefold Sun”, the composition of the same John, in the same tone
Irmos: Same as that of the preceding canon.
What manner of thanksgiving, what manner of suitable reciprocity should we offer to our benefactors, by whom we are instructed in how to live in goodness, O ye people?
Let the tongues of the orators, their skill and craft, and all the power of their words, now be applied toward a single end; and, honoring them, let us venerate them all together.
The heavenly minded could not bear what was peculiar to them so as to acquire something on earth; and they were revealed as preservers of society and intercessors. Let them therefore be vouchsafed praises in common.
Theotokion: O most immaculate one, as with a single mouth, and forming a single concord, we all glorify thee, our common distinction of honor.
Canon II of the holy hierarchs, the composition of the same John, in Tone VIII
Irmos: The staff of Moses, once working a wonder, striking the sea in the form of the Cross and dividing it, drowned the mounted tyrant Pharaoh, and saved Israel who fled on foot, chanting a hymn unto God.
This beginning is not an undertaking of human zeal; but let the wisdom which sitteth on thy throne aid me, O Thou Who lovest mankind, granting me the grace of discourse, whereby I may be enabled to glorify those whom wisdom itself hath glorified well beforehand.
Like a cup full to overflowing, O Master, Thy grace and the great riches of Thy love for mankind have been poured forth and have flowed forth to show those now proposed for laudation to be like other angels in the matter of the flesh.
It is fitting that there be praises from heaven and angelic hymnody fit for the godly; for they have become gods through communion, having Him, Who by nature is the one true God, living and speaking within them.
Theotokion: The memorial of the righteous doth perfect the divinely wise company with praises; and therewith the Mother of God, as their head, is glorified magnificently, holding the last, the first and the middle rank, and partaking of goodly praise.
Katavasia: The irmoi of the feast of the Meeting
The sun once passed over dry land born of the deep, for the water became firm as a wall on either side when the people traversed the sea, chanting in God-pleasing manner: Let us sing unto the Lord, for gloriously hath He been glorified!
Ode III
Canon of the Theotokos
Irmos: Establish us in thee, O Lord Who hast slain sin by the Tree, and plant the fear of Thee in the hearts of us who hymn Thee.
By thy supplications, O pure one, render God, to Whom thou gavest birth, readily reconciled with thy servants, who flee to thy protection and worship thy birthgiving with faith.
Pilot my whole life, O Virgin, my hope and intercessor, delivering me from temptations and evil circumstances, O Ever-virgin.
In that thou didst bear in thine arms the hypostatic Wisdom of God, O Theotokos, pray thou that those who hymn thee be delivered from ignorance and error.
Canon I of the Hierarchs
Irmos: Establishing me upon the rock of faith, Thou hast enlarged my mouth against mine enemies, for my spirit doth exult when I chant: There is none holy as our God, and none righteous save Thee, O Lord!
The great clarion of the Church, the beacon illumining the whole world, the preacher embracing all the ends of the earth with his proclamation, Basil of great renown moveth this assembly.
Radiant of life and activity, radiant of discourse and teachings, outshining all in all things, as another sun outshineth the stars, the much hymned Theologian is blessed.
Lo! the light of the world shineth upon the world! Behold, the salt of the earth sweeteneth the earth! Lo! the tree of life produceth the fruits of immortality, O holy Chrysostom. Come ye who desire to escape death, and find ye delight!
Theotokion: He Who brought all things into being out of non-existence and granted being to each creature, knoweth how to set forth the given natures as He desireth. Hence, who will not marvel on hearing that the Virgin gave birth?
Canon II of the Hierarchs
Irmos: O Christ, Who in the beginning established the heavens in wisdom and founded the earth upon the waters, make me steadfast upon the rock of Thy commandments; for none is holy as Thee, O Thou Who lovest mankind.
Praised with splendor may the radiant instructors of life be: the correctors of morals, the edifiers of souls, the common saviors of all, who have shown forth to us models of deeds and words.
The Spirit of God filled Basil with skill; Gregory alone possessed tongues of fire and breathed forth the fire of exalted discourse; and the mouth of Christ spake in John.
The foolishness of preaching manifestly made the wisdom of this age of no effect, rendering it submissive and making it serve as a slave; for grace set the wise preachers forth as orators.
Theotokion: He Who made His abode within the womb of the pure Virgin maketh the souls of the God-bearing saints His dwelling-place, and through their lips He recounteth the mystery of His Mother.
Katavasia: O Lord, Thou confirmation of those who trust in Thee, establish the Church which Thou hast acquired with Thy precious blood.
Sessional hymn, in Tone VIII, Special Melody: “Of the Wisdom…”
Together let us praise the great and luminous beacons, the unbreakable pillars of the Church, delighting in the goodly discourses and the grace of the all-wise Chrysostom, Basil the Great, and Gregory the splendid Theologian. And to them let us cry out, giving voice from the depths of our hearts: O thrice-great holy hierarchs, entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of transgressions unto those who celebrate your holy memory with love.
Glory…: Another Sessional hymn, in the same tone & melody
Receiving wisdom from God like three more apostles of Christ, with the discourse of understanding ye set forth dogmas, which of old the fishermen set down in simple words, through the power of the Spirit in understanding; for thus was it fitting to acquire a simple exposition of our Faith. Wherefore, we all cry out to you: Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of transgressions unto those who celebrate your holy memory with love.
Now and ever…: Theotokion
O Theotokos, in the mercy of thy supplications go thou before my lowly soul, which is now engulfed by the waves and storm of life’s temptations, and, laden with the heavy burden of sins, is become rudderless and is nigh unto sinking into the depths of hades. Grant it peace and rescue it from misfortunes, for thou art a calm haven, praying to thy Son and God, that He grant me remission of transgressions; for thee do I, thine unworthy servant, have as my hope.
Ode IV
Canon of the Theotokos
Irmos: I have heard report of Thy dispensation, O Lord, and have glorified Thee Who alone lovest mankind.
O Mistress, who gavest birth to God, grant me delivery from the wounds of my soul and the infirmities of my flesh.
By thy supplications, O only all-hymned Mother of God, deliver me from evil circumstances, from tempest and misfortunes.
Rescue me, who am tempest-tossed by the waves of life, O Virgin, guiding me to thy haven.
Canon I of the Hierarchs
Irmos: Thou didst come forth from the Virgin, neither a mediator nor an angel, but Thyself incarnate, O Lord, and hast saved me, the whole man; wherefore, I cry to thee: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
Acquiring knowledge through lower wisdom, O all-glorious one, ye received the helmsman’s position through divine wisdom; wherefore, ye most wisely made lower wisdom subject to you as a handmaiden.
O lovers of wisdom, in that ye love what is wise, ye become wise, and ye teach all to speak; and they marvel at your discourses, thereby taught the discipline of activity and mystic vision.
Theotokion: The Creator of the waters and the ages, O most immaculate one, Who in latter times became like unto a late morning rain, descended into thy womb, duly cooling those who were fainting.
Canon II of the Hierarchs
Irmos: Thou art my strength, O Lord, Thou art my power; Thou art my God, Thou art my joy, Who, without leaving the bosom of the Father, hast visited our lowliness. Wherefore, with the Prophet Habbakuk I cry unto Thee: Glory to Thy power, O Thou Who lovest mankind!
A pillar of fire going before the faithful people, consuming the enemies of the Faith and manifestly saving the tribes who followed was the great Basil shown to be, that the Church of Christ might be bold and prevail, enriched by such a champion.
O Gregory, thy discourse was sweetness to the tongue, the delight of every ear, the manna of life, a dew of delight, honey from a rock, the heavenly bread of the angels, moving those who partake thereof to enjoy fully, filling them with sweetness.
A river of spiritual gifts full to overflowing, flooding the goodly face of the earth like a torrent of sweetness, floweth forth from the golden mouth, delighting and watering every Christian city with streams of divine waves.
Theotokion: O Mistress, the three God-bearing teachers confessed that there is in thy Son a simple nature which underwent synthesis and showed itself to be above confusion; and they proclaimed Him to have two wills and two activities by nature.
Katavasia: Thy virtue hath covered the heavens, O Christ; for having issued forth from Thine immaculate Mother, the ark of Thy holiness, Thou hast appeared in the Temple of Thy glory as a babe borne in arms, and all things have been filled with Thy praise.
Ode V
Canon of the Theotokos
Irmos: O Lord, Bestower of light and Creator of the ages: guide us in the light of Thy commandments, for we know none other God than Thee.
Having thee as an invincible weapon against the divers temptations of the enemy, we who acknowledge thee to be the pure Theotokos are ever delivered from all the oppression of the foe.
O thou who art more exalted than the cherubim, thou gavest birth to the Fullness of the law, the only-begotten Son Who became incarnate of thee. Him do thou beseech in behalf of thy servants.
Having borne the Creator of all things in thine arms, by thy supplications reconcile Him with us who now have recourse to thee with all our heart.
Canon I of the Hierarchs
Irmos: O Christ my Savior, enlightenment of those who lie in darkness and salvation of the despairing: rising early unto Thee, O King of the world, may I be enlightened by Thy radiance, for I know none other God than Thee.
Thou didst permit the saints to drink deeply of the wellspring of Thy gifts, which in nowise is diminished in its flow, but watereth the whole earth with the divine torrents which flow from its source, O Thou Who lovest mankind.
What is gold to me? What to me are riches and glory and power? Smoke dispersed upon the winds! Let them all vanish; let the wind bear them all away! Mine only greatly-cherished riches are the trinity of eloquent teachers.
The river poureth forth incorruptible sustenance and divine drink: it poureth forth the food of immortality for those who hunger, and incorruptible drink for those who thirst. Its water is eternally living and sustaineth alive those who drink of it. Partake ye all of its ever-flowing life!
Theotokion: Evil hath power over us, but not utterly; for it hath grown weak since the Virgin gave birth to Him Who is mighty in power, Who took upon Himself the weakness of the flesh and hath slain Him Who is mighty in malice.
Canon II of the Hierarchs
Irmos: Wherefore hast Thou turned Thy face from me, O Light never-waning? And why hath a strange darkness covered me, wretch that I am? But turn me, and guide my steps to the light of Thy commandments, I pray.
With thankful voices let us praise the wise sages of divine and human things, who in their love of the Truth have manifestly made known to us the nature of things, and have described their Creator unto all, as is meet.
With their wise doctrinal discourses and skills the godly healers of men’s souls sweetened that which is bitter and astringent for the salvation of cures. O all ye pious, adorned, find ye delight and be saved!
All discourse falleth silent when the divine preachers utter divine things. The New Testament prevaileth over the Old, presenting as precious tablets those who set forth the laws therein, with whom the whole concourse of the faithful are reckoned.
Theotokion: The immortal Being passed over mortality to holiness, and the Virgin Maiden hath surpassed the incorporeal angels, for she gave birth to God, the King of the angels, upon Whom they are unable to gaze.
Katavasia: In a vision Isaiah beheld God exalted upon a throne borne aloft by angels of glory, and he cried: Woe is me! for I have beheld beforehand the incarnate God, the unwaning Light, Who reigneth with peace!
Ode VI
Canon of the Theotokos
Irmos: Whirled about in the abyss of sin, I call upon the unfathomable abyss of Thy loving-kindness: Lead me up from corruption, O God!
Knowing thee to be a haven of salvation, sailing the deep of this grief-laden life, I call upon thee, O Mistress: Be thou the pilot of my soul!
Wretch that I am, I have fallen away from a pure life; yet lead me up, O blessed and all-pure one, uniting me to thy Son’s precepts.
Vouchsafe unto me thy mercy, O Theotokos who gavest birth to the all-merciful Word Who by His own blood hath delivered men from corruption.
Canon I of the Hierarchs
Irmos: The great abyss of sin encompasseth me, and, emulating the prophet, I cry to thee: Lead me up from corruption, O Lord!
Together, O ye three, bless the properties of God: the unbegottenness of the Father, the generation of the Word and the procession of the Spirit Himself.
Today hath salvation, radiantly manifest, come to this house; for Christ, honoring His own name, is present in the midst of the two or three gathered together.
Immeasurably distant from the heights of heaven is the abyss of the earth; yet divine desire hath borne the saints from the earth higher than the heavens.
Theotokion: The three divine preachers, having thee as a new wellspring and source of mysteries, O Virgin, adopt a novel manner of speech with new sources.
Canon II of the Hierarchs
Irmos: Cleanse me, O Savior, for many are my transgressions; and lead me up from the abyss of evils, I pray, for to Thee have I cried, and Thou hast hearkened to me, O God of my salvation.
We have learned to theologize concerning the only Trinity, and have agreed to hymn the threefold Unity: we have been taught by the fathers to worship the single Essence in three Hypostases.
The Word, Who is without beginning, and the Spirit of God, existed in the beginning with the Father: the all-unoriginate God is a simple, consubstantial, co-essential Godhead, as the divine preachers say.
I shall unite and separate those things that are separated through unity; I think of the One as indivisible, and consider It Three; and I accept the three God-bearing teachers who have admonished me thus to believe.
Theotokion: The Son of the Father and the Mother, Who was without mother before assuming the flesh and was without father after His incarnation, saith these things, all of which pass understanding: for all-glorious wonders befit God.
Katavasia: The elder, beholding with his own eyes the salvation which was come to me from God, cried out to Thee, O Christ! Thou art my God!
Kontakion, in Tone II, Special Melody: “The steadfast…”
The sacred heralds of divine proclamation, the foremost among the teachers, hast Thou received, O Lord, into the enjoyment of Thy good things and into rest; for Thou hast accepted their labors and death as surpassing any wholeburnt offering, O Thou Who alone dost glorify Thy saints.
Ikos: Who can open his lips and move his tongue to breathe forth fire with the power of the Word and the Spirit? Yet say but the word, and I will make bold to speak; for these three have transcended all human nature in their many and great gifts, their activity and vision, surpassing both in splendor. Wherefore, Thou hast vouchsafed unto men such great gifts, in that they are Thy faithful servants, O Thou Who alone dost glorify Thy saints.
Ode VII
Canon of the Theotokos
Irmos: When the golden image was worshipped on the plain of Dura, Thy three youths spurned the ungodly command, and, cast into the midst of the fire, bedewed, they sang: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
He Who was incarnate of thee and was nailed to the Cross, O Theotokos, hath rent asunder Adam’s record. Him do thou now beseech, O most immaculate one, that they be delivered from all misfortunes who cry aloud: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
O Mistress, thou art the good hope and helper of the faithful; and now we entreat thee to grant an abyss of sympathy to all who trust in thee and cry to thy Son: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
Though arrayed at baptism in the beauteous raiment of the commandments of the Savior, I have defiled it through slothfulness, wretch that I am; and now I flee to thee, O Virgin, begging that through thee I be clothed again in the robe of gladness.
Canon I of the Hierarchs
Irmos: The command of the iniquitous tyrant, opposed to God, raised up a lofty flame; but Christ, Who is blessed and all-glorious, spread a spiritual dew upon the pious youths.
The former inconstant audacity of heresies is vanquished and doth retreat, O blessed one, and every debased teaching is shown to be like wax melting in the presence of fire, struck down by your fiery proclamation.
They turned away from the false myths of the Greeks and chose persuasion alone to establish their authority among men; and these three, having established the truth therewith, thus triumph over the whole assembly of the faithful with their discourses, and exhort them.
Theotokion: In thee hath every prophecy come to rest and reached its end, amazing those who say: From thee, O pure one, do the wonders of prophecies pour forth most radiantly, showing those who utter them to be wise.
Canon II of the Hierarchs
Irmos: Once, in Babylon, the fire stood in awe of the condescension of God; wherefore, the youths, dancing with joyous step in the furnace, as in a meadow, chanted: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
The divinely eloquent ones were pillars of virtue and wisdom, whether they kept silent or spake, whether they watched or listened, commanding us by their words and deeds to cry: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Receiving your divine voices which thunder forth upon us all-wondrously from on high, and your exhortations which are like flashes of lightning, O divinely wise ones; we therefore chant with you: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Stones shall be launched from the stone-bows of their tongues, crushing those corrupted by false doctrines, if any among the blasphemers dare refuse to exclaim: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Theotokion: He Who buildeth with the elements, and transformeth nature as He desireth, made His abode within thee and left thee a virgin even after thou gavest birth, O Mary Theotokos. To Him do we now cry out with thee, O most immaculate one: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Katavasia: We hymn Thee, God the Word Who bedewed the theologizing children in the fire and dwelt within the incorrupt Virgin, and piously we chant: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Ode VIII
Canon of the Theotokos
Irmos: God, Who descended into the fiery furnace for the Hebrew children and transformed the flame into dew, hymn ye as Lord, O ye works, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Having through faith acquired thee as a steadfast pillar and foundation of strength, as a protector and intercessor, O all-pure one, we are now saved; and we hymn and supremely exalt thine Offspring for all ages.
O Theotokos, we know thee to be a clear wellspring of immortality, for thou gavest birth to the Word of the immortal Father, Who delivereth from death all who exalt Him supremely forever.
Thou dost ever pour forth a stream of healings upon us, the faithful; and receiving now its abundant grace, we hymn thine Offspring, O all-pure one, and exalt Him supremely for all ages.
Canon I of the Hierarchs
Irmos: Same as that of the preceding canon.
We reverently ponder and glorify with equal honor the one Essence, the infinitely powerful Unity and Trinity, Who ordereth all these things with more exalted words; for thus have the three God-bearers taught us to worship, and with them we bow down before the Trinity forever.
The three divine preachers have united themselves, joining together to form a trinity, and preserving themselves inseparable by their divine nature; and they have thus received a single, indivisible glory, which summoneth to a single laudation those who exalt it supremely forever.
Theotokion: O Virgin, the Benefactor, accepting what is ours, and giving us what is His own, did not suffer, but merely created; for though He is the Creator, He doth not ordain corruption; and though He suffered of His own will, through His suffering He setteth men loose from the passions, as the three fathers mystically teach us.
Canon II of the Hierarchs
Irmos: Madly did the Chaldæan tyrant heat the furnace sevenfold for the pious ones; but, beholding them saved by a higher Power, he cried out to the Creator and Deliverer: Ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Having united them in a unity of equal honor, lest the man who rendereth them praise distinguish between them, God esteemeth them equal in their gifts, that He might vouchsafe them to chant equal hymns, singing: Ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!
The mighty and invincible champions of the Godhead, the true allies of the Truth, having tested well the depths of the Spirit, set forth their divine understandings concerning God, and teach us to chant: Ye people, exalt Christ supremely for all ages!
From heaven two magnificent luminaries enlighten the earth one after the other according to their preëminence; but three all-great luminaries illumine the whole world more brightly, chanting together: Ye people, exalt Christ supremely for all ages!
Theotokion: For our sake God deigned to become incarnate and undergo His honored sufferings, for our sake He dwelt among men; and though He had not tasted of death and was free of the passions, through union with mortal flesh He also partook of suffering and death. With His Mother let us exalt Christ supremely forever!
Katavasia: United in the unbearable fire, yet unharmed by its flame, the pious youths chanted a divine hymn in intercession: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
At Ode IX,
we do not sing the Magnificat, but chant instead the refrain
Magnify, O my soul, the all-pure Virgin Theotokos, who is more honorable than the armies of heaven!
And thereafter we chant the irmos. And we chant this same refrain before each of the Troparia of the canon of the Theotokos.
Irmos: O ye faithful, with hymns let us magnify in oneness of mind the Word of God, Who from God came in His ineffable wisdom to renew Adam who had grievously fallen into corruption, and Who became ineffably incarnate of the holy Virgin for our sake.
O divinely blessed Maiden, I earnestly place all my hope on thee. Save me, O Mother of the true Life, and pray that I, who magnify thee faithfully and lovingly with hymns, may enjoy everlasting delight, O pure one.
O Virgin who hast been shown to be the portal of divine Light, with the immaterial radiance of thy light illumine the darkness of my soul; and pray thou, O pure one, that I who magnify thee faithfully and lovingly with hymns may be delivered from eternal fire.
The Son, Who was begotten from within the Father before time began, made His abode within thy womb; He became perfect man, O Mother of God, and hath shown thee to be a wellspring of gifts for us who faithfully do homage to thine ineffable birthgiving.
Canon I of the Hierarchs
Irmos: God the Lord, the Son of the unoriginate Father, hath revealed Himself to us incarnate of the Virgin, to enlighten those in darkness and to gather the dispersed. Wherefore, we magnify the all-hymned Theotokos.
Each Troparion of the canons of the hierarchs is preceded by its own refrain:
Refrain: Magnify, O my soul, the three great luminaries among the hierarchs!
Lo! your crop, the flock for which ye endured the greatest of pangs, having assembled and received you three together, hath your most sweet union as their common boast.
Refrain: Magnify, O my soul, the three luminaries of the Church of Christ!
Grace wielded not a two-edged sword, but one with three edges against the foe: a single blade forged in heaven and sharpened with threefold might, which ever fighteth for the one thrice-radiant Godhead.
Refrain: Magnify, O my soul, those who illumine the Church of Christ!
Your residence was in the heavens, O all-glorious ones, with those bearing flesh eternally undefiled; and dwelling most perfectly now among them, entreat those who are most high, that they take thought and pray for us who abide yet on earth.
Refrain: Magnify, O my soul, the all-pure Virgin Theotokos, who is more honorable than the armies of heaven.
Theotokion: The breadth of thy mighty deeds confineth me, O Mistress, giving me close-reasoned discourse, and all-gloriously I am at a loss because of thy magnificence. Wherefore, we glorify Him Who hath thus magnified thee.
Canon II of the Hierarchs
Irmos: Heaven was stricken with awe, and the ends of the earth were amazed, that God hath appeared in the flesh, and that thy womb became more spacious than the heavens. Wherefore, the ranks of men and angels magnify thee as the Theotokos.
Refrain: Magnify, O my soul, the three pastors of the all-holy Trinity!
A threefold virtue hath been exalted and hath filled all things with glory, shining forth upon us another thrice-radiant ray as its own effulgence: the initiates of the mysteries of heaven, by whom we are guided in piety to the divine vision thereof.
Refrain: Magnify, O my soul, the three great luminaries of the triple Sun!
There is no repetition in these three, for each of them beareth the seniority: none is first, but there is a surpassing equality of honor; and they all-joyously credit the victory to each other, for the audacity of jealousy, which corrupteth oneness of mind, hath no place in them.
Refrain: Magnify, O my soul, the might of the indivisible Godhead in three Hypostases!
The piety of the fathers, having shown forth its own firstborn sons, through them begetteth faithful and blameless children of the light, who are made perfect by the Spirit Who spake life in them; and it asketh them to preserve, inviolate to the end, the peace which it inherited from them.
Refrain: Magnify, O my soul, the all-pure Virgin Theotokos, who is more honorable than the armies of heaven!
Through the revelation of the Father, the foremost of wise hierarchs proclaimed thy Son to be the Son of the living God, O Mother of God, receiving knowledge of the mystery not from flesh and blood; wherefore, glorifying thee, the Virgin, he magnified thee as Mother and Theotokos.
Katavasia: In the shadow and the writings of the law do we behold an image, O ye faithful: every male child which openeth the womb is consecrated to God. Wherefore, we magnify the first-born Word of the unoriginate Father, the first-born Son of the Mother who knew not man.
Exapostilarion, Special Melody: “O Light immutable…”
Let us praise the God-bearing fathers, the three radiant lamps shining more brightly than the rays of the sun with the light of the Trinity, the Author of light, the three-Sunned Unity which is supernaturally united.
Glory…: Another exapostilarion, Special Melody: “The heaven with stars…”
Now let us all praise the receptacles of light, the lightning-flashes of beams of light: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom.
Now and ever…: Theotokion
O sole GodheadFather, Son and Spirit,through the entreaties of Basil, Gregory and John, and of the all-pure Theotokos, let me not be cut off from Thy glory!
On the Praises, 4 stichera, the composition of Nilus Xanthopoulus, in Tone V, Special Melody: “Rejoice…”
Rejoice, O trinity of hierarchs, great bulwark of the Church, pillars of piety, confirmation of the faithful, downfall of heretics, who shepherded the people of Christ with divine teachings and nurtured them with divers virtues, O manifest preachers of grace, who set forth laws for the fullness of Christ’s Church! O ye guides to the highest, ye gates of paradise, entreat Christ, that He send down great mercy upon our souls! Twice
Rejoice, O trinity of hierarchs, earthly angels whose path is in the heavens, salvation of the world, joy of men, teachers of the world, champions of the Word, all-wise healers of infirmities of soul and body, ever-flowing spiritual rivers watering the whole face of the earth with your teachings, stairway of theology! O ye godly ones of golden discourse, entreat Christ, that He send down great mercy upon our souls!
Rejoice, O trinity of hierarchs, ye earthly firmaments of the Sun, rays and beacons of the effulgence of the threefold Sun, enlightenment of the benighted, fragrant and most beautiful flowers of paradise, O Theologian, wise Basil and Chrysostom, ye tablets of the Spirit inscribed by the finger of God, ye breasts exuding the milk of salvation! O ye adornment of wisdom, entreat Christ, that He grant unto our souls great mercy!
Glory…, in Tone V
Let us sound the clarion of hymns, that we may dance to festal music and leap up, rejoicing in the all-honorable festival of our teachers! Let kings and princes come together, and let hierarchs clap their hands in hymns for the three all-great rivers pouring forth doctrines, the rushing torrents of the ever-living Spirit, the pastors and teachers, the three initiates of the sacred mysteries of the all-worshipful Trinity! And, assembling, let us praise them: Let the philosophers praise them, because they are wise; the priests, because they are pastors; the sinners, because they are their intercessors; the poor, because they enrich them; those in sorrow, because they comfort them; those who travel, because they journey with them; those at sea, because they are their steersmen. And let all of us everywhere, fervently praising the godly hierarchs, say thus: O all-holy teachers, make haste to rescue the faithful from the temptations of life, and to deliver them from everlasting torments by your supplications!
Now and ever…: Theotokion, the composition of Germanus, in the same tone
Let us sound the clarion of hymns, for the Virgin Mother, the Queen of all, bowing down from on high, with blessings crowneth those who hymn her. Let kings and princes come together, and let them clap their hands in hymns for the Queen who gave birth to the King Whose good pleasure it was, in His love for mankind, to loose those held by death from of old. Ye pastors and teachers, assembling, let us praise the all-pure Mother of the good Shepherd, the lampstand of golden luster, the light-bearing cloud, her who is more spacious than the heavens, the animate ark, the fiery throne of the Master, the golden jar which held the Manna, the gate of the Word which was closed, the refuge of all Christians; and, praising her with divinely eloquent hymns, let us say thus: O palace of the Word, vouchsafe the kingdom of heaven unto us, the lowly; for nothing is impossible to thy mediation!
Great Doxology. Litanies. Dismissal. First Hour.
At Divine Liturgy
On the Beatitudes, 8 Troparia: 4 from Ode III of the first canon of the saints, and 4 from Ode VI of the second canon.
Prokimenon, in Tone VIII
Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
Stichos: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaimeth the work of His hands.
Epistle to the Hebrews §334 [13:7-16]
Brethren: Remember those who have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation: Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and for ever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines: for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited those who have been occupied therein. We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat who serve the tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Alleluia, in Tone IV
Stichos: The heavens shall confess Thy wonders, O Lord, and Thy truth in the congregation of saints.
Stichos: God is glorified in the council of the saints.
Gospel according to Matthew §11 [5:14-19]
The Lord said to His disciples: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Who is in heaven. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you: Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Communion Verse
Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
The Menaion of the Orthodox Church © Isaac E. Lambertsen